my CREATIVE-side
I've been creating random pieces of art for many years. From installations and models to oil painting ... if the idea pops into my head, I go ahead and create it.
I recently converted my spare room into an art studio/ workshop. So if you are around the Queens Park area come by for a gander. Below are some examples I picked out.
The art site is - ARTBYCOOPER.CO
IG - COOPERINLONDON
If you are interested in a commission drop me a note below.
'WOMAN IN SUITCASE'
'Woman in suitcase' was a project that came about after coming across both a mannequin head and a retro briefcase in a charity shop. Using a bit of magic I created this eye-catching piece.
Check out this piece
'AT HOME'
'At Home' is a large oil painting which is part of a collection of paintings that take inspiration from vintage Bronx photos. I've only just gotten into oils but plan to do a lot more.
Check out this piece
'BIZZARE BELLJAR'
The idea of creating 'Bizzare Belljars' came to me whilst volunteering at Oxfam. Essentially we sometimes received donations of broken bric-a-brac and rather than throw it into the junk I created (in the style of Victorian taxidermy) belljars of art.
Check out this piece
'NELSON IS F*CKED'
I've begun to hunt down old oil paintings from car boot sales and charity shops and put my own twist on it. As you can see here I added Godzilla to a naval battle scene.
Check out this piece
I put on an exhibition in Queens Park at the WWW gallery. I suppose I can now officially call myself an artist (albeit a self-taught one).
my DETECTING-side
"One man's trash is another man's treasure".
I've always been a fan of both history (especially after studying Classics) and the outdoors, so when I came across metal detecting as a past-time I was immediately hooked.
Knowing you are standing over a great signal but NOT knowing if its a Pepsi cap or George III silver shilling is a great buzz for me.
I've been lucky enough to have obtained some great detecting permissions and slowly my coin collection is growing (nicely displayed in a cabinet). Check out some recent images of my favourite finds below.
If you have any interesting farm permissions, or lost a wedding ring in the garden drop me a note below.
Great finds across the ages
More surprised than me!
Classic detecting finds
Its not always about metal
my DIGITAL-side
Back in 1999, I applied for an affiliate marketing position via an ad in the Evening Standard and never looked back
Work experience so far ...
One affiliate network, two client-side roles and four large media agencies.
If you are interested in learning more about my 25-year career history and want to join my network then check out my LINKEDIN PROFILE
my CHARITABLE-side
,ofI've always had an innate yearning to give back to the community and do some good for others. As such over the years I've been involved in different charitable activities.
I've been helping out at Oxfam for almost a decade now (more specifically the store at Westbourne Grove) for almost a decade where I've come across many an interesting character (and donation!).
Back in 2012 I spent a year travelling around Africa where volunteering in three countries from school building and lion tracking to chimpanzee rehabilitation (as you can imagine it was quite the experience).
Finally and most recently I volunteer with Westminster Connects where I was recently invited to Buckingham Palace in recognition for my volunteer activities.
If there is any volunteer work that you think could be of interest then do let me know.
Blue Cross Dog Show
I was put in charge of the dog agility course at this year's Blue Cross Dog show in London. It was great, especially as a) I'm a fan of dogs and b) Reese (sitting behind me in the photo up top) won 'male dog of the year'.
Oxfam at Selfridges
As you can see from the 'creative' section I enjoy making art so I was delighted when Oxfam asked me to create one of my bizzare belljars for Selfridges.
my ALCOHOL-FREE side
Since 2020 I have been running an alcohol-free blog - mydrybar.com. I started it up as I saw that non-alcoholic drinking was increasing in popularity and on a personal note I enjoyed a beer in the evening (but didn't appreciate the hangover).
Since then MyDryBar has become a destination for people looking for inspiration and ideas around the best alcohol-free drinks to try out. I've now got almost 300 different reviews from wines and beers to cocktails and kombucha. If interested check out the alcohol-free drink selector tool I created.
Last year MyDryBar won 'Best non-alcoholic drinks guide' from Lux Life which was great recognition.
The site is - mydrybar.com
IG - #my_dry_bar
